First Home Forever Home Four Legged Food Drive 2009

Most communities have a homeless pet problem, and in 2008-09, the number of homeless pets via relinquishment and abandonment increased because of the economic downturn, foreclosures, and joblessness.

Increased abandonment or relinquishment to already crowded shelters results in an increased euthanasia rate for pets.

With or without the downturn in the economy, some families who are struggling financially will see their pets as extra mouths to feed and will, therefore, decide to let them go.  On the other hand, some people will choose to go hungry themselves in an effort to keep their pets.

During 2009, we saw a nationwide increase in the number of organizations providing free pet food to help families in need.

Why Do A Four Legged Food Drive?

Providing temporary assistance with pet food removes one potential reason for families considering relinquishing or abandoning their pets and will help people keep the pets they love.  Every day that these families can feed their pets is one more day those pets stay at home.

In the Summer of 2009, the First Home Forever Home campaign sponsored what may have been the largest pet food drive in history, collecting more than 70,000 pounds of pet food in 14 cities with the help of our network of volunteers.

Read about:

•         The launch of the Four Legged Food Drive

•         Week 2 Update: Total Tops 7,000 Pounds

•         Week 3 Update: Food Drive Soars Beyond 10,000 Pounds

•         Week 4 Update: 15,000 Pounds and Counting

•         Week 5 Update: Food Drive Continues Helping Families Keep the Pets They Love

•         Week 6 Update: Things That Weigh 30,000 Pounds

•         The Four Legged Food Drive in Salt Lake City

•         The Four Legged Food Drive in Las Vegas

•         Week 8 Update: The Momentum Continues to 70,000 Pounds and Beyond

•         Week 9 Update: Heading for 75,000 Pounds

Goals of The Four Legged Food Drive

•         To collect donated pet food to help stock the shelves at a local food pantry that acts as a distributing organization to those in need.

•         To assist individuals and families facing economic difficulty by providing pet food to help them keep their pets

•         To increase awareness about homeless animals, adoptable shelter animals, and other community resources such as low-cost spay-neuter and other veterinary services, micro-chipping.

Coming Soon:  The Four Legged Food Drive Action Kit

Interested in doing a Four Legged Food Drive?  The First Home Forever Home campaign has created an action kit to explain the how-to's of the project and the best practices we have learned.  Download the Action Kit here.